His Ocean
by Opinionated Asmodeus
Summary: Shanks held out the straw hat, which he robotically took and held to his chest. This was Luffy's treasure... Everyone here, aside from a few notable villains, was Luffy's treasure. Even him.


He was numb, completely and wholly. He didn't like the feeling, it was unsettling, but he didn't know what else there was to feel. His brothers were both dead, and there wasn't a single damn thing in the entire world that could ever fill the void they had left in his heart. When news had come to him that Ace, the strongest of them, had perished in the War of the Best, as it was now known, off of a bullshit attack from _Akainu_ he had gone on a rampage that ended in the total annihilation of three small islands. It took everything **Dragon** had to knock him out after one hell of a beating. It had put anything he had gone through in his short time around Garp to complete shame.

**That** had been ten years ago. Two years after that, Luffy had achieved his goal and dream of becoming _Pirate King_. For eight years his younger brother had ruled over the seas, and everyone around the world had been so free and happy. He was so proud of their _otouto_, and he knew that Ace was proud too.

Today was the eight year anniversary of Luffy becoming Pirate King, and the news papers delivered today had shaken the world to its very core. Their _otouto_, who had become so unbelievably strong, was dead. His body had given out on him, according to both the doctor of the _Mugiwara Kaizoku_ and _Yonkou_ Trafalgar Law. Not only that, but the newspaper went on to say that he had been **depressed** for the last few years.

He didn't even get that far into the front page article, with its blaring headline, when the paper slipped from his fingers and an iciness gripped his heart. His reaction to Ace's death hadn't been anything like this, or so the others of the Revolutionary Army were pointing out. Dragon seemed to be in a similar state, numb to the world and numb to the people around him.

* * *

The funeral was today, and he was still just as numb. Barely functioning and never reacting to a single damn thing. As they neared the island where Luffy was being buried, he recognized it as the gravesite for both Newgate Edward and one Portgas D. Ace.

There were hundreds and hundreds of ships, probably even several thousand, anchored around the entire island. They had to take a longboat up to the shore, where they passed by numerous ships he recognized. Among them were the _Red Force_, the _Moby Dick II_, Trafalgar Law's submarine, _Fleet Admiral_ Smoker's battleship, _Admiral_ Coby's brig sloop, Mihawk's one man boat and many more ships that he couldn't even name.

The shores were crowded with the mourning attendants. People, he realized, that had been touched in some way by Luffy's carefree and friendly nature. By the beach amongst a space in the ships there was a West Blue Island Whale, it's scarred head decorated with the _Mugiwara Kaizoku_ Jolly Roger done in Luffy's sloppy handiwork. The Whale, he knew to be as Laboon, was crying out in deafening wails, a teary-eyed Crocus standing not too far away in the water. Near the waters edge were the giants of Elbaf, Dorry the Blue and Brogy the Red, who had postponed their endless duel on the Island of Little Garden.

After the giants were the residents of Drum Island, followed by Nefertari Cobra, his daughter Vivi and son-in-law Kōza, Chaka, Pell, Igaram and Karū. Lurking a little ways away from them was Crocodile and Daz Bones, a somber expression on the former villains' faces. Next to them, from the Islands of Jaya and Skypiea were Montblanc Cricket, Mashira, Shōjō, Gan Fall, Conis, Pagaya, Wiper, Laki and Aisa.

Traveling up a path through the crowd, he saw many more faces, too many to name, and at the very top... Garp and Dadan, Luffy's crew and _Akagami_ himself. Shanks was holding an old straw hat in his hands. Luffy's hat.

Dadan, her hair streaked with white, noticed him. "S-Sabo?!" She cried harder, and left Garp's side to pull him into a hug. He stood there, unsure what to do and cursing the fact that all he felt was numb. When she let him go and nudged him towards the grave marker, carved out of the purest white marble they could find, he stumbled a little.

Luffy's _Nakama_ stepped aside as he approached. Shanks held out the straw hat, which he robotically took and held to his chest. This was Luffy's treasure... Everyone here, aside from a few notable villains, was Luffy's treasure. Even him.

The pain seemed to come suddenly, and he was screaming for Luffy. Crying for Luffy. He fell to he knees between Luffy and Ace's grave, and it seemed to set off a chain reaction of sobs and wails from Luffy's _Nakama_ to his friends. Down on the beach Laboon's cries were heard over the crowd. Nothing would seem as if it would ever be alright anymore. The bright and shining beacon in their lives was gone.


End file.
